Helmet providing weather protection

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a helmet configured for affording hands free weather protection, such as an air canopy, for a user of the helmet. The helmet comprises a helmet body and an induction system including an air intake fan mounted atop of the helmet body to gather ambient air into the helmet body and to channel the air through a series of vent outlets positioned around the largest circumference of the helmet.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a head protection device, for example,a helmet and more particularly, to a helmet having an induction systemfor redirecting the rain, snow, pollens, dust or other particulates toachieve proper weather protection for the user. Even more particularly,the helmet of the invention is constructed so as to make the user morevisible to other persons travelling or crossing the same roadways as theuser. Furthermore, the wearer or user of the helmet is protected frominjury in the case of traveling action or accident involving the wearerof the helmet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the primary reasons for a user to wear a helmet is to protect theuser's head and prevent injury in the case of a fall. On one hand, therecent advanced designs of such helmets have evolved over a number ofyears in an attempt to improve characteristics like weight, safety andaerodynamic drag for helmets used in competitive sport.

On the other hand, advanced designs for a protective helmet have alsobeen made to improve a user's sensation while wearing a helmet. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 7,801,318 teaches a device having a cooling fanto provide a cooling or heat radiating effect to the wearer of thehelmet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a helmet configured to provide hands freeweather protection similar to an air canopy for a user.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a helmet, whichcan gather the air from the environment and channel the air flow througha helmet body and then vent out to a proximity or surroundings of a userto achieve weather protection, wherein the outlet air flow is strongenough to redirect particulates in the air.

It is another object of the present invention, to provide a helmethaving functional features such as a video camera, which can take videoimages in 360 degrees.

It is still another object of the present invention, to provide a helmethaving decorative features, for example, the circumference of the helmetcan be illuminated to be attractive to the user and simultaneously toothers wearing the helmet and thus avoiding unnecessary accidents.

It is a further object of the present invention, to provide a helmethaving entertainment features such as a microphone and speakerassemblies, which can be a plug in/add on device or otherwise integratedinto the helmet.

Still another object of the present invention is, to provide a helmetwherein the functional, decorative and entertainment features are allconnected to and controlled by a smart phone through a Bluetoothconnection.

The present invention describes an improved structural design for ahelmet, which comprises an induction system including an air intake fan,a bundle of air baffles and a plurality of air outlets, wherein the airintake fan is mounted on the top of the helmet, and the bundle of airbaffles, each of which has one end gathered around and connected to theair intake fan through a connecting base. The air baffles extenddownwardly from the air intake fan to the plurality of air outlets. Theair outlets formed on the periphery of the helmet, are evenlydistributed along the largest circumference of the helmet.

In one aspect of the present invention, the helmet further comprises acamera fixed on either the front or rear side of the helmet.

In still another aspect of the present invention, the helmet furthercomprises a plurality of red LEDs illuminating a circumference of thehelmet.

The helmet, in another aspect of the present invention, furthercomprises a microphone and speaker assembly, to be integrated into thehelmet, as a plug in unit to the helmet or as an independent accessoryseparate from the helmet.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the air intake fan, thecamera, the LEDs, and the speaker/microphone assembly are all incommunication with a smart phone through a Bluetooth connection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view of a helmet comprising an airinduction system;

FIG. 2 is a detailed drawing of the helmet in FIG. 1, wherein the airinduction system comprises an air fan, a bundle of air baffles and airoutlets wherein the air fan is mounted on top of the helmet, a pluralityof air outlets in the shape of grills are evenly distributed along acircumference of the helmet and the bundle of air baffles are sandwichedbetween the exterior and interior of the helmet body and connected withthe air intake fan and air outlets;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the air induction system in the helmet ofFIG. 1, wherein the air fan and the bundle of air baffles are connectedthrough a connecting base and each air baffle corresponds to anindividual air outlet;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the air induction system of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the helmet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a back perspective view of the helmet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the helmet of FIG. 1, wherein the interior ofthe helmet in FIG. 1 is shown.

FIG. 8 is a partial front view of the helmet in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 shows the air induction system of FIG. 1, wherein the airinduction system comprises an air fan, a bundle of air baffles and airoutlets, an air fan mounted on top of the helmet, a plurality of airoutlets in a shape of grills evenly distributed along a circumference ofthe helmet and the bundle of air baffles are sandwiched between theexterior and the interior of the helmet body and connected with the airintake fan and air outlets;

FIG. 10 is a view of the top of the air induction system as shown inFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a view of the left side view of the helmet in FIG. 1, whereinthe air flow shown therein in dotted lines is shown as an environment inwhich it is used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood thatthe following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments toone preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to coveralternatives, modifications, and equivalents that can be included withinthe spirit and scope of the described embodiments which are defined bythe appended claims.

In the scope of the present invention, referring to FIGS. 1-7, a helmetcomprising an air induction system is described. FIG. 1 shows a leftside perspective view of the helmet, wherein the helmet comprises ahelmet body and an induction system, wherein the induction systemcomprises an air intake fan, a bundle of air baffles and a plurality ofair outlets. The air intake fan is mounted on the top of the helmet. Thebundle of the air baffles is not visible from the outside of the helmet.Referring to FIG. 7 the bundle of the air baffles is also not visible atthe interior of the helmet. The bundle of the air baffles is placed inbetween the exterior and interior surfaces of the helmet.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the air intake fan is assembled to the bundle ofair baffles through a connecting base. Each air baffle in the bundle hastwo ends. One end of each air baffle is evenly gathered around theconnecting base, which allows the air intake fan to be installed in aflat manner. The air baffles extend downwardly conforming to a contouror topography of the helmet. Each air baffle is evenly distributedacross the helmet. The other end of each air baffle is connected to anindividual air outlet. The plurality of air outlets are placed along onecircumference of the helmet, preferably said circumference is thelargest horizontal circumference around the helmet (FIG. 3), so that theair canopy formed can be at a maximum projection diameter.

In one example of the present invention, the air intake fan is round andthe connecting base is round (FIGS. 1-6). In another example, the airintake fan is squared and the connecting base is also squared.

In another aspect of the present invention, the air intake fan is aminiature CFM fan.

In another aspect of the present invention, the air baffles are made ofplastic.

In another aspect of the present invention, the air outlets are roundshaped holes. In another example, the air outlets are square shaped anda plurality of the air outlets are evenly disposed so as to resemble agrill.

In still another aspect of the present invention, the air intake fan cangather air from the environment, channel it through the air baffles anddirect the air through the air outlets. The air discharged from the airoutlets can redirect the direction of incoming particulate matter intothe surroundings of the user. Examples of particulates are raindrops,and in another example, the particulates are snowflakes. In stillanother example, the particulates are pollen. In still yet anotherexample, the particulates are air pollutants. The particulates weighabout 0.01-0.5 g. In yet another example, the incoming particulates areless than 3 feet away from the user.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the air intake fan cangather air in the environment, channel it through the air baffles anddischarge the air through the air outlets. The air constantly dischargedfrom the air outlets forms an air canopy centering on the user who iswearing the helmet. In one example, the air canopy has a height of 3feet. In another example, the air canopy has a projected diameter of 3-6feet.

In yet another embodiment, there is a method provided offering weatherprotection to a user of a helmet as described herein. The methodcomprises providing a helmet having an air induction system including anair intake fan, a bundle of air baffles and a plurality of air outlets.After gathering air from the air intake fan, guiding the air flow fromthe air intake fan to the air outlets through spaces provided in betweenthe exterior and interior surfaces of the helmet; redistributing the airflow through the air outlets; and redirecting the particles in theincoming air around the user.

In the foregoing embodiments, a circumference of the helmet is describedas the reference to the position of the LEDs and the vents. Thecircumference of the helmet can be in small, medium or large sizes astypically provided with all helmets, based on user's head size. Furtherthe number of vents and lights may vary from one size to another. Inaddition, either slotted vents or circular vents can be used in thepresent invention.

The helmet disclosed herein, further comprises a camera (not shown),capturing a 360 degree panoramic view of the surroundings. The cameramay be placed on the front side of the helmet. The camera may be placedon both the front and rear sides of the helmet. The images or videoscaptured by the camera can be wirelessly sent to and temporarily storedby a smart phone and viewed by the smart phone in real time. In oneembodiment, the 360 degrees view is accomplished by fixing the camera atmore than one location or by having a camera capable of capturing imagesusing large viewing angles. In one example, the helmet is equipped witha first camera in the front and a second camera in the back in fixedpositions, which are sufficient in providing a 360 degree of view. Inone example, the cameras are mini cameras provided in the marketplace.

The helmet disclosed herein, further comprises an illumination unit,which includes a plurality of LEDs. The LEDs are distributed along anentire circumference of the helmet. In one example, the LEDs are placedin side or near each individual air outlet. In another example, the LEDsare distributed evenly across the circumference where the air outletsare, but only in proximity or near selected outlets. The LEDs, when theyare lit up, are visible from the outside of the helmet (FIGS. 5 and 6).In one example, the LEDs are red LEDs.

Additionally, the helmet may further comprise a speaker and microphoneassembly. Depending on a specific structure design of the basicstructure of the helmet, the speaker and microphone assembly may beinstalled directly in the helmet or may come as a separate unit, whichcan be attached to the helmet when it is in use or taken apart forstorage.

In accordance with other aspects of the present invention, the helmetdisclosed herein can communicate with a smart phone wirelessly. Theforegoing features of the helmet are connected to a smart phone via ablue tooth connection so that a user can operate various functions ofthe helmet via a user interface on his/her smart phone. Through aBluetooth connection of the smart phone, a user can turn on/off the airintake fan of the helmet, adjust the rotation speed of the fandynamically; the user can review camera images or video clips in realtime; the user can turn on/off the lights and adjust the brightnesslevels of the LEDs; and the user can turn on/off and adjust the volumefor the speaker or microphone when they are in use.

The helmet further comprises a power supply to operate the helmet by aDC current at 9V, 12V or 24V.

The helmet does not limit to any material that can be used for theinterior or exterior of the helmet. Desirably the exterior material usedis intended to provide protection from injury and the interior materialused is designed to allow skin breathing or airflow to increase user'scomfort. In one example, the materials which are the exterior of thehelmet are made of fiberglass. In another example, the materials usedfor the exterior of the helmet are made of high impact plastics. In oneexample the material used for the exterior of the helmet is the samematerial used for conventional motorcycle helmets. In another example,the material used for the exterior of the helmet is the same materialused for conventional bicycle or riding helmets. Additionally, Styrofoamis also included in the helmet to provide thermal insulation and/or actas a safety cushion for the helmet. The baffles will then be fittedbetween the helmet body and Styrofoam.

FIG. 7 shows an interior of the helmet described herein. The interior ofthe helmet uses cushioned liner material to provide comfort to the user.In one example, the liner material is made with polyester fabric.

The helmet further comprises a fast strap. A pair of strap loops is alsoattached to the front on the left and right to form a chin strap whichis used to retain the helmet snugly in place upon the head of the user.The attachment points of the straps are specifically selected so thatthe sides of the strap will engage the user's head and prevent tiltingof the helmet when it is in use.

The helmet having an induction system for weather protection in thepresent invention can be made of lightweight plastic or fiber glass. Inaccordance with the various aspects of the present invention, the helmetcan be used anywhere where a head protection device is used, forproviding additional weather protection. It can be used not only bybicyclists in competitive sports but also by the general publicincluding a pedestrian, a cyclist, a motorcyclist, a law enforcementagent, a person who does skateboarding or a skier, a constructionworker, etc.

In addition, the exterior appearance of the helmet can be furtherimproved to adopt a more fashionable look to provide a helmet having aninduction system for weather protection more suitable for everyday usethan those presently available.

Reduction to Practice:

A prototype has been made using an existing (Bell) fiberglass motorcyclehelmet. A hole was made on top of the helmet, to allow for the AirInduction System (FIGS. 1 and 2), which is comprised of a miniature 12Volt motor of 2500 revolutions per minute (rpm) (FIGS. 3 and 4), and aplastic turbine fan (FIG. 3), which increases the air flow CFM (CubicFeet Per Minute). Circular perforations were made along thecircumference of the helmet to allow for the air to flow outward awayfrom the helmet/wearer (FIGS. 5 and 6). The Maximum Protection Diameterof the air flow will be approximate 24 to 28 inches from the helmets airopenings. The air induction system was then attached to a baffle system(FIG. 3) to channel the air through the circular perforations. Thecircular perforations are lined on the inside with strips of LEDLighting (FIGS. 5 and 6) with white lighting in the front, and redlighting in the rear of the helmet. The helmet is also equipped with aspeaker system (for phone and music). The final product will come withminiature cameras the while being affixed to the front and rear of thehelmet, and a microphone. Both of which are not shown here. The entiresystem: Air umbrella, lights, speakers, cameras and microphone will beoperated via a smart phone app, which will use “Bluetooth” connectivity.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice theseembodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments setforth herein are presented for purposes of illustration and descriptiononly. They are not meant to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments tothe precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinaryskill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible inview of the above teachings.

The advantages of the embodiments described are numerous. Differentaspects, embodiments or implementations can yield one or moreadvantages. Many features and advantages of the present embodiments areapparent from the written description and, thus, it is intended by theappended claims to cover all such features and advantages of theinvention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, the embodiments should not belimited to the exact construction and operation as illustrated anddescribed. Hence, all suitable modifications and equivalents can beresorted to as coming within the scope of the invention.

1. A helmet for providing weather protection for a user, comprising anair intake fan, mounted at the top of a helmet body; a plurality of airbaffles, each having one end gathered around the air intake fan,extending downwardly through the helmet body, formed in between theexterior and interior surface of the helmet body; and a plurality of airoutlets, formed on the periphery of the helmet body, evenly distributedalong its largest circumference, wherein the air baffles define channelsfor air flow from the air intake fan to the air outlets and each airbaffle corresponds to at least one air outlet, and the air intake fan,the plurality of air baffles and the air outlets are configured tocreate an air canopy having a height of 3 feet.
 2. The helmet of claim1, further comprising a camera.
 3. The helmet of claim 2, wherein thecamera is placed on a front side of the helmet.
 4. The helmet of claim2, wherein the camera is placed on a back side of the helmet.
 5. Thehelmet of claim 2, wherein the camera is placed on a left side of thehelmet.
 6. The helmet of claim 1, wherein a plurality of LED lights areplaced inside of the air outlets, configured to illuminate the entirecircumference of the air outlets.
 7. The helmet of claim 1, wherein thehelmet further comprise a speaker and microphone assembly.
 8. The helmetof claim I, wherein the speaker and microphone assembly is a standaloneaccessory to the helmet.
 9. The helmet of claim 1, further comprising apower supply using 9V, 12V and 24V DC current.
 10. The helmet of claim1, further comprising a Bluetooth connection to establish connectionsbetween a smart phone to the air intake fan, a camera, LED light and aspeaker/microphone assembly.
 11. The helmet of claim 1 which is made oflightweight plastic or fiberglass.
 12. An air induction systemcomprising a helmet comprising an air intake fan, mounted at the top ofthe helmet; a plurality of air baffles; and a plurality of air outlets,formed on the periphery of the helmet body, wherein the air bafflesdefine channels for air flow from the air intake fan to the air outletsand the air which is discharged out of the air outlets is capable ofredirecting particulates having a weight of less than 0.1 g, to be 3feet away from the user.
 13. The air induction system of claim 12,wherein the air intake fan is to a high CFM fan.
 14. A method forproviding weather protection for a user, comprising providing a helmetof claim 1; gathering air from the air intake fan; guiding the air flowfrom the air intake fan to air outlets through the space in between theexterior and interior surfaces of the helmet; redistributing the airflow through the air outlets; and redirecting the particles in theincoming air away from the user.